Cross-reference Digital channel RF xx-xxxxx numbers to local affiliate numbers

[#1]

I recently connected a Digital TV to the FIOS coaxial digital cable port without the use of a set top box. The TV discovered 150 or so channels. Most are music and public (Local city) channels, but the basic broadcasting channels are available in both SD and HD.  This is great for me for where only basic channels are required and services of another STB is not needed. 

A STB would typically  display channel numbers such as 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 for basic broadcast channels, and 5xx for HD B-cast channels. However, the digital channels this TV discovered all have 6 - 7 digit numbers such as RFxx-xxxx. 

Questions;

1.  Is this typical of a QOM receiver capability? 

2. Are the channel numbers always same nationwide or specific to a local/city? I am ventura county, CA.

3. Do you know where I can get a cross-reference guide (cheat sheet) for what RFxx-xxxx channel is for what broadcaster/purpose?

thanks

[#2 · Accepted solution]

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@sdchargers_fan wrote:

I recently connected a Digital TV to the FIOS coaxial digital cable port without the use of a set top box. The TV discovered 150 or so channels. Most are music and public (Local city) channels, but the basic broadcasting channels are available in both SD and HD.  This is great for me for where only basic channels are required and services of another STB is not needed. 

A STB would typically  display channel numbers such as 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 for basic broadcast channels, and 5xx for HD B-cast channels. However, the digital channels this TV discovered all have 6 - 7 digit numbers such as RFxx-xxxx. 

Questions;

1.  Is this typical of a QOM receiver capability? 

2. Are the channel numbers always same nationwide or specific to a local/city? I am ventura county, CA.

3. Do you know where I can get a cross-reference guide (cheat sheet) for what RFxx-xxxx channel is for what broadcaster/purpose?

thanks

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1 - QAM receivers take the digital (HD) broadcast and look at a header called PSIP that should remap the channel to something like 3.1 for the primary didgital channel for broadcast channel 3.  The SD versions do not have PSIP information.

2 - The channel numbers vary by market.  That being said,the local SD channels are typically in the 6x.x range (53.x to 66.x) and the digitals (HD) are in the 7x.x range (71.x to 75.x in my area)

3 - You would need someone in your specific market to giove you a QAM to OTA cross reference. 

[#3]

Thanks for your help.

Sounds like its will be easier for me to break out a spreadsheet and map it myself.

I was hoping that there was some FCC regulation that forces broadcasters to announce QAM mapping to a location.

Would be a nice forum section/post.

BTW - I saw WGN (star trek) and a Fox channel (volleyball) unencrypted. Arent these national channels?

"....local SD, local digital (HD), music, and PEG channels - these are all that are sent in clear QAM.  None of the national channels (ESPN, USA, Sci-Fi, etc.) will be tunable (since they are all encrypted) unless you have a cable card from Verizon."

[#4]

the local digital channels vary by market as mentioned, and they are determined by the OTA broadcasting station.  for example, if ABC is channel 2 (OTA) for you, then ABC in HD will be 2.1

if you want a complete listing of the digital stations in your area, go to antennaweb.org.

[#5]

Antennaweb won't help him because Verizon won't have them set up the same way.

[#6]

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@sdchargers_fan wrote:

BTW - I saw WGN (star trek) and a Fox channel (volleyball) unencrypted. Arent these national channels?

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WGN for some reason is in the clear and whenever FiOS does a freebie preview, they turn off the encoding - may be the case for the FOX channel.  So if they are running an HBO freebie weekend you would suddenly find those channels unencrypted and tunable on your TV's tuner for the duration of the freebie.  99 and 44/100's percent of the national channels are encrypted

[#7]

Correct.  antennaweb.org does not help me for it cross references air broadcast channels.

Verizon channels have nothing to do with this.

[#8]

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@sdchargers_fan wrote:

Correct.  antennaweb.org does not help me for it cross references air broadcast channels.

Verizon channels have nothing to do with this.

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interesting, I thought that VZ was supposed to display them with their OTA numbers, sorry about that.  i know comcast did that.